Leading Thoughts for May 1, 2025

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

I.

Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee on prisons of our own making:

“When we are in a downward emotional spiral, feeling confused, unhappy, or ill at ease, we often end up playing and replaying mental ‘tapes’ that actually accentuate our negative emotions and feelings of hopelessness. When we are feeling down over a long period of time, this self-talk centers on messages that undermine us and, in turn, our power to change bad situations (‘It’s not my fault’ ‘My life will never be really happy’) or messages that weaken our sense of efficacy (‘This situation is beyond my control, I’m just stuck with it’).

“When we get caught in this prison of our own making, we lose the ability to see ourselves, others, or our environments as they really are. We see the world through filters that may not have a basis in reality, and we begin to make decisions based on what we think rather than what is. We forget to engage in that other kind of self-talk: hopeful, affirming thoughts about ourselves and compassion for others.”

Source: Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others Through Mindfulness, Hope, and Compassion

II.

Jonathan Brill on random change:

“There are two interrelated reasons that you can control and profit from randomness. The first is that what’s unpredictable at one scale is often quite reliable at another. The second is that while random changes occur, they often self-organize into a reliable result.”

Source: Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change

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Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 12:24 PM
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